Bill Atkinson Surname Research

ATKINSON

The Atkinson's are an Anglo-Irish family, said to have come as soldiers with Oliver Cromwell's army in 1648 to Northern Ireland and then settling mostly in County Armagh. There are still many Atkinson cousins in Northern Ireland and a large number in both Canada and the United States.

John (b. 1826), Robert (b. 1828), and Francis (b. 1843)(brothers) all came to Canada mostly settling around Orangeville, Ontario, Canada and then some moving on to Manitoulin Island, Ontario. From Ontario the family spread to the Dakotas and Western Canada.

VALLELY

Ellen Valleley born about 1733 in Northern Ireland married Joseph Atkinson (b. abt. 1731) is one of my brick walls.

BASSINGTHWAIGHTE

Francis Atkinson (b.1872) married Jeanette Bassingthwaighte (b. 1880). Both were born and married on Manitoulin Island and later moved to Saskatchewan. The Bassingthwaighte clan is quite extensive in England where it originated, Canada, United States, Australia and South Africa. Most English Bassingthwaightes are located in Norfolk, England.

Edward Bassingthwaighte (b. 1692) married to Elizabeth Singleton (b. 1698) and married in Long Stratton, Norfolk, England are currently the end of the confirmed line. There are a large number of family members in the 1500s particularly around Norwich, Norfolk but the connection to them has not been made. Of Edward and Elizabeth's children only their son Edward's, (b. 1722) and died 1798 in Tacolneston, Norfolk, line has been traced.

CRAGG / PYE

Jonathon Bassingthwaighte (b.1823) married Agnes Cragg (b.1820) in Ontario County, Ontario, Canada in 1844 which linked our ancestral line back to two quite large families traditionally living around Lancaster, Lancashire, England. In particular both the Craggs and Pyes lived for a significant amount of time around Wyresdale, Lancashire.

DAVIDSON

The maternal half of my ancestry is all Icelandic and the family name became "Davidson" here in Canada, largely living in Saskatchewan my grandparents around Wynyard. My grandmother's line is from the Abrahamson family but it is of little use to mention ancestral surnames as they were simply a "son" or "datter" added to the father's first name.